


Help A Brother Out

by bilesandthesourwolf (snb123)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Hunk/Shay, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Lotor is kind of a creep, M/M, Pining Lance (Voltron), Unwanted Advances, background keith/allura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 10:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13339230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snb123/pseuds/bilesandthesourwolf
Summary: Lance, tired of being pestered by Lotor, lies about having a boyfriend. He turns to Keith for help and gets more than he bargained for in the shape of Keith's half brother Shiro.





	Help A Brother Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Oli Grey (NeroliGrimm)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeroliGrimm/gifts).



> this is my, seriously late, shaladin secret santa fic for neroligrimm, who wanted modern, fake dating. i hope you like it!

“Keith,” Lance said, voice more than a little desperate, as he flopped down across from his friend at the coffee shop on campus. “I need you to be my boyfriend.”

Judging by the slightly startled look on Keith’s face, Lance knew he hadn’t handled this situation quite how he had wanted to.

“Uh,” Keith replied, putting his book down. “What?”

Lance sighed heavily and slumped lower in his seat, hand running down his face. “Ok, here’s the thing. There’s this new guy in my humanities class, Lotor, who apparently thinks he’s God’s gift to everyone, or something, and he will not leave me alone, I swear Keith. The douche doesn't know the meaning of the word ‘no’. I mean, I know I’m gorgeous and everything, but a guy can only take so much”, Lance paused to take a breath, trying to ignore the growing look of amusement on Keith’s face. “He keeps asking me out and he won’t stop. So, today I finally broke down and told him I have a boyfriend. And that’s where you come in.”

Keith tapped his chin, feigning deep thought, before he smirked and said, “Sorry, can’t help you man.”

“But why?” Lance practically wailed, throwing himself across the table.

“Because Allura wouldn’t like it,” Keith answered, picking his coffee up, least Lance’s dramatics knock it over. 

“Allura is a total gem and would completely understand,” Lance whined.

“Hm, true. But, unfortunately, I already know Lotor. He’s in my fencing class. And he knows about Allura and I.”

“Dammit,” Lance said, banging his forehead on the table. “Hunk is out, too. He and Lotor have a math class together and Hunk never shuts up about Shay.”

“What about Pidge?” Keith asked.

With a sigh, Lance raised his head, blue eyes looking particularly pitiful. “They have an engineering class with Lotor. And everyone knows Pidge is married to their work.”

“Sucks to be you, I guess,” Keith replied, taking a sip from his coffee.

“I hate you and I don’t know why I’m friends with you.”

“Because you haven’t left me alone since we were in the first grade,” Keith answered. “I just can’t get rid of you.”

Lance scowled at his supposed friend. “As if. You’re the one who wouldn’t leave me alone, always trying to steal my toys at recess, throwing food at me in the cafeteria. Face it, mullet head, you were obsessed with me.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself,” Keith scoffed.

Lance sighed again, resting his chin on his crossed arms. “Seriously, dude. You gotta help me. I’m desperate here.”

“Alright, alright,” Keith responded. “Maybe I can get Shiro to help you out.”

“Shiro?” Lance asked, voice going a bit squeaky, much to his embarrassment. 

Shiro was Keith’s half brother. He was a few years older than they were and he was Lance’s childhood crush. Shiro was cute and athletic, shy yet friendly, easy going and motivated. Lance was practically in love with the guy up until he graduated from high school when he and Keith were still freshman. Shiro had joined the Marines, a choice that had surprised everyone in his family. The day he left for boot camp, Lance had to fight back tears as he’d said goodbye to his long time crush. “It’s not like I’m going to be gone forever, Lance,” Shiro had said, voice soft as he’d pulled Lance in for a hug. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

That had been five years ago and Lance hadn’t seen Shiro since. He’d been home a few times to visit his family, but Lance had, unfortunately, been elsewhere each time Shiro had been back. Lance liked to think the long time separation had helped him get over his crush, but, apparently, just hearing Shiro’s name had brought all those long suppressed feelings to the surface. 

Lance cleared his throat, ignoring the gleam in Keith’s eyes. “I thought he was still overseas?” 

“Naw,” Keith said, leaning back in his chair. “He came home last week.”

“Last week?” Lance practically shouted. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“So I could witness that exact reaction,” Keith smirked.

“You’re such an asshole and I hate you,” Lance pouted again, crossing his arms.

Keith shrugged. “I guess you don’t want me to ask Shiro for his help while he’s here visiting tomorrow then.”

“He’s gonna be here tomorrow?” Lance tried to feign nonchalance, looking at his fingernails, but he could feel the tips of his ears turning pink.

“Yeah, he wants to check out the campus. See about maybe getting his post graduate degree here,” Keith answered. “He’s looking at biomedical engineering.” 

Lance hummed, trying to forget the day he’d heard the news. “That makes sense. How is his arm?”

“Good,” Keith said, and Lance could tell he was feeling the same way. “The Marines really set him up with a great doctor. Shiro said the prosthetic feels pretty natural now. It’s state of the art, moves just like a real arm should.” They both went quiet for a moment, lost in thought. 

“Anyway,” Lance finally said, trying to lighten the mood. “You think he’d be willing to help a brother out?”

Keith snorted. “I’m sure he’d be willing to help. He always did have a soft spot for you, God knows why.”

Lance felt his cheeks heat up. “He only put up with me cause I was friends with you.”

“Whatever, man,” Keith replied. “I’ll talk to him tonight. Do you have class with Lotor tomorrow?”

Lance groaned. “Unfortunately. Class is from 9 to 11.” 

“Alright. I’ll tell Shiro to meet you outside the Humanities building tomorrow at 11. The rest is up to you. I do not want to know the details. Ever.”

Lance beamed. “Thank you, dude,” he said, standing up and grabbing his bag. “You’re a true friend.”

“And don’t you forget it,” Keith said, turning back to his long forgotten book as Lance playfully punched his shoulder before heading for the exit.

~

To say that Lance was nervous the following morning would be an understatement. He took extra care in picking out his clothes, trying to tell himself that he simply wanted to look nice that day (he failed) and he spent longer on his hair then he had in months, all the while trying to convince himself it was because he wanted to try out a new style (he failed miserably). 

Unfortunately, when Lance walked in to class, Lotor noticed his extra efforts right away. “Why, Lance! You look simply delicious this morning. Trying to impress me?” he said as Lance passed his desk.

With a sigh, Lance sat down in the only open seat which was sadly next to Lotor, and replied, “Why on Earth would I try to impress a cretin like you when I have a boyfriend?”

“Ah, yes,” Lotor said, leaning into Lance’s space. “The elusive boyfriend. I would love to meet him.”

“Great,” Lance responded, leaning away from the intruder. “He’s going to meet me after class today.” 

Lotor jerked away at that. “Really? He’s going to be here?” Doubt clouded his features.

“Yes,” Lance said, sitting up straight, stomach fluttering at the thought of seeing Shiro in a matter of a few hours. “He’s going to be here and then you can finally leave me alone.”

“We’ll see about that,” Lotor turned towards the front of the classroom, shoulders tense. 

Lance sighed and tried to focus on the professor, but his mind kept wandering to Shiro, his nerves growing stronger with each passing minute. He worried that Shiro wouldn’t remember to come, that Shiro wouldn’t be as happy to see Lance as Lance was to see him, that they wouldn’t be convincing enough to get Lotor off his back. But mostly Lance worried that he would take one look at Shiro and fall in love all over again, and that Shiro would help him out this once and then disappear from his life again.

The two hour long class passed in a blur, Lance not remembering a single thing their professor said, and then they were being dismissed. Grabbing his bag, Lance followed the rush of students exiting the classroom, fully aware of Lotor at his back. He walked as quickly as he could towards the building’s exit, mentally preparing himself to see Shiro. 

When he reached the doors, Lance stepped outside and started scanning the surrounding area. His eyes finally landed on Shiro leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, and Lance had to bite back a gasp. If Shiro had been attractive five years ago, he was down right gorgeous now. The Marines had done him well, he was muscular but still lean, taller than Lance remembered. His hair was different now, an undercut with a dyed white forelock that would have looked out of place on anyone but Shiro. Lance could make out a faint scar running across the bridge of his nose, adding to the overall appeal that was Takashi Shirogane. He was wearing dark jeans and boots, a white shirt underneath a black leather jacket, his right hand was covered in a glove. It seemed like everyone exiting the building was eyeing Shiro and Lance couldn’t blame them.

“Well,” a voice said, right next to his ear. “Where’s the mysterious boyfriend?”

Lance jerked out of his admiration of Shiro and turned to glare at Lotor, who was standing way too close for comfort. “He’s right there,” Lance replied jerking his head in Shiro’s direction.

His voice must have carried further than intended because when he turned back around, Shiro was staring right at him, smile growing on his handsome face. He pushed off the pillar and began walking towards them. Lance couldn’t stop himself from rushing forward and all but launching himself at Shiro. 

Shiro caught him, arms wrapping firmly around his waist. Lance tightened his arms around Shiro’s neck, face buried in his jacket collar. Shiro laughed, music to Lance’s ears, his arms squeezing him tighter.

After a moment, Lance remembered that they were actually supposed to be doing something other than clinging to each other. He pulled his face away from Shiro’s jacket, reluctantly, and whispered in his ear, “It’s so great to see you again, Shiro. Thank you so much for agreeing to help me out.”

Shiro tilted his head to the side, temple brushing against Lance’s, before whispering back, “Anything for you, Lance. Now, where’s the asshole.”

Lance suppressed a shudder at the feeling of Shiro’s breath ghosting across his cheek. “Tall guy, stupid silver hair, probably looks pissed as hell right now.” 

Shiro was silent for a moment before responding, “Got him,” his lips brushing the shell of Lance’s ear, making Lance shiver. “Let’s do this.” 

Lance released his hold on Shiro’s neck and pulled back to stare at him. Shiro’s gray eyes were dancing with mirth, mouth pulling into a smirk as Lance felt his cheeks heating up. Lance swatted playfully at Shiro’s chest, feeling embarrassed, hoping Shiro would chalk his blush up to acting. He turned around to face Lotor as Shiro wrapped an arm around his waist, hand squeezing his hip, pulling Lance more firmly to his side.

As they approached Lotor, Lance wanted to laugh and the expression on the other man’s face, but held it in, not wanting to cause a scene. The normally cocky smirk on Lotor’s face had been replaced with a scowl of annoyance and slight disbelief. 

“Oh, Lotor,” Lance exclaimed. “I’m so glad you;re still here. I want you to meet my boyfriend,” Lance made sure to put extra emphasis on the word, hoping to finally get the point across.

“So, you’re Lotor,” Shiro said, somehow managing to make his voice sound pleasant and menacing all at the same time, arm tightening around Lance. “The creep who won’t leave my boyfriend alone.”

Lotor’s shoulders stiffened. “He only mentioned he had a boyfriend a few day ago,” he sniffed. “How was I supposed to know you existed?”

“It doesn’t matter if I existed or not,” Shiro answered, voice turning more menacing. “You should have left him alone when he told you to.” Lance felt his heart melt a little bit, hearing Shiro sticking up for him like that.

Lotor’s cheeks turned a faint pink, scowl deepening. He waved a lazy hand in dismissal. “Besides, how do I know he hasn't just asked some guy to pretend with him?” 

Lance scoffed. “What the hell, dude. Do we have to kiss to prove it?” He nervously chuckled at the absurdity of the situation.

“Yes,” Lotor said without hesitation, crossing his arms.

“We don't’ have to do shit to prove our relationship to you,” Lance replied, voice rising in anger.

Shiro gave his hip a tight squeeze causing Lance to turn his attention to the man at his side. Shiro gave him a soft look, “Babe, if this asshole needs proof of our relationship, I can punch him in the face or I can kiss you. I know which one I’d rather do,” he winked, causing heat to flood through Lance’s body. 

“I guess I could kiss you,” Lance managed to say, trying to keep his voice flirty. “I don’t need you getting kicked off campus for fighting.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Shiro said, voice softening as he curled Lance’s body towards him, free hand coming up to rest on his cheek. 

Lance placed his hands on Shiro’s chest, eyes searching Shiro’s for a sign that he was alright with this. Shiro must have sensed his thoughts because he smiled gently before leaning slowly down, eyes fluttering shut just before he captured Lance’s lips in a soft kiss. Lance’s own eyes fell shut as he melted into Shiro, his hands fisting in the soft fabric of Shiro’s shirt. Shiro’s thumb brushed along his cheekbone and that’s all it took for Lance to let out a tiny moan. 

The sound spurred Shiro on, his hand moving to the back of Lance’s head, fingers tangling in the soft brown locks, lips moving more urgently against his. Lance felt his heart stutter, he felt like he was flying, he had imagined kissing Shiro for years and this was better than he ever thought it would be. Feeling emboldened by Shiro’s actions, Lance opened his mouth and ran his tongue along Shiro’s lower lip. He smiled into the kiss as Shiro jerked at the action, hand tightening it’s hold on Lance’s hair.

Lance distantly heard Lotor mutter, “Fuck this, I’m leaving.” But he didn’t give it much more thought as his mind and mouth were currently occupied with the best kiss of his life. 

They eventually had to stop for air, the sound of more than a few catcalls and wolf whistles greeting them. Lance felt his face flush red as Shiro chuckled, dropping his forehead to rest on Lance’s. “Hi,” he said softly, smile wide and beautiful.

“Hi,” Lance replied, voice breathier than he would have liked it to be, fingers nervously fidgeting with Shiro’s shirt.

Shiro’s smile grew wider, his hand massaging the back of his scalp gently. “I think we scared him off.”

“Thank God,” Lance said, not really understanding why they hadn’t yet separated. “Thank you so much, seriously.”

“It was my pleasure. I think I scared Keith with how quickly I said yes to his request.” 

“Why did you agree to help?” Lance questioned, trying to keep his voice steady, eyes searching Shiro’s for something he dared not to hope for.

A light dusting of pink graced Shiro’s cheeks as he replied, “Would you believe me if I said I’ve thought about kissing you for years now?”

Lance felt his stomach clench. “Don’t play with a guy’s emotions like that.”

“I’m serious,” Shiro said in earnest, finally lifting his head up, eyes boring into Lance’s. “I’ve kind of had a crush on you for a long time.”

Lance searched Shiro’s face intently, noticing his open and sincere expression, the pink of his cheeks darkening, the hope in his eyes, the tight hold he still had on Lance. “Oh my God,” Lance finally said, voice filled with shock. “Oh my God, you really do have a crush on me!”

“I really, really do,” Shiro replied, voice sounding a little bit apprehensive. “Word on the street is, you might feel the same way.”

Lance groaned, burying his face in Shiro’s neck. “I’m going to kill Keith,” he mumbled.

Shiro laughed, holding Lance tight against him. “I think we actually owe him dinner for this.”

“And what is this?” Lance asked quietly, breathing in the scent of Shiro, relishing in the feel of Shiro all around him.

“Well,” Shiro said, voice soft next to his ear, hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. “We could really piss that Lotor off by rubbing our real relationship in his face at every given opportunity.”

Lance felt his heart sore as he surged up and kissed Shiro again, ecstatic in the knowledge that there would be more kisses and moments like this to come.


End file.
